Srimad Bhagavatam – 1.17.39 | HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj | ISKCON Chennai | October 24, 2025
Om Namo Bhagavate Vāsudevāya
Om Namo Bhagavate Vāsudevāya
Om Namo Bhagavate Vāsudevāya
nama om vishnu-padaya krishna-preshthaya bhu-tale
srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine
namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracharine
nirvishesha-shunyavadi-pashchatya-desha-tarine
jaya sri-krishna-chaitanya
prabhu nityananda
sri-adwaita gadadhara
shrivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrinda
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Reading from Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 1 Chapter 17 Verse 39.
ŚB 1.17.39
पुनश्च याचमानाय जातरूपमदात्प्रभु: ।
ततोऽनृतं मदं कामं रजो वैरं च पञ्चमम् ॥ ३९ ॥
punaś ca yācamānāya
jāta-rūpam adāt prabhuḥ
tato ’nṛtaṁ madaṁ kāmaṁ
rajo vairaṁ ca pañcamam
Synonyms
punaḥ — again; ca — also; yācamānāya — to the beggar; jāta-rūpam — gold; adāt — gave away; prabhuḥ — the King; tataḥ — whereby; anṛtam — falsehood; madam — intoxication; kāmam — lust; rajaḥ — on account of a passionate mood; vairam — enmity; ca — also; pañcamam — the fifth one.
Translation
The personality of Kali asked for something more, and because of his begging, the King gave him permission to live where there is gold because wherever there is gold there is also falsity, intoxication, lust, envy and enmity.
Purport
Although Mahārāja Parīkṣit gave Kali permission to live in four places, it was very difficult for him to find the places because during the reign of Mahārāja Parīkṣit there were no such places. Therefore Kali asked the King to give him something practical which could be utilized for his nefarious purposes. Mahārāja Parīkṣit thus gave him permission to live in a place where there is gold, because wherever there is gold there are all the above-mentioned four things, and over and above them there is enmity also. So the personality of Kali became gold-standardized. According to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, gold encourages falsity, intoxication, prostitution, envy and enmity. Even a gold-standard exchange and currency is bad. Gold-standard currency is based on falsehood because the currency is not on a par with the reserved gold. The basic principle is falsity because currency notes are issued in value beyond that of the actual reserved gold. This artificial inflation of currency by the authorities encourages prostitution of the state economy. The price of commodities becomes artificially inflated because of bad money, or artificial currency notes. Bad money drives away good money. Instead of paper currency, actual gold coins should be used for exchange, and this will stop prostitution of gold. Gold ornaments for women may be allowed by control, not by quality, but by quantity. This will discourage lust, envy and enmity. When there is actual gold currency in the form of coins, the influence of gold in producing falsity, prostitution, etc., will automatically cease. There will be no need of an anticorruption ministry for another term of prostitution and falsity of purpose.
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj:
So, in this verse we see that the personality of Kali asked for another place besides these other places and that place that she got was the place where people hoard gold. This of course means the same thing, because where you have gold, you get all these sinful activities. Of course, we also see some kingdoms are full of gold, so when Yudhishthira was ruling, there was plenty of wealth everywhere. So the principle is not so much the gold, but how you use the gold. So if you use the gold for sense gratification, then of course we end up with all these sinful activities. If we use the gold to decorate the deity, then fine.
So there is a very interesting comment in the Bhakti Sandarbha. In that work, Jiva Gosvami analyses the different types of Bhakti, like the 64 Angas of Bhakti mentioned in Nectar of Devotion. So we have the standard things like hearing and chanting and devotee association etc. And then he comes to archana. And of course he explains the different items you offer to the deity. But in relation to that, then he describes the qualification. And the qualification for archana is Diksha. So the way we get the Diksha is, we get a Diksha Guru. Diksha Guru is also called the Mantra Guru. When we say Mantra Guru, we don’t mean Hare Krishna Mantra. We refer to special Pancharatrika Mantras used for worshipping the deity.
According to the different deity, you worship in a particular Sampradaya, you will have a different mantra. And even in the same Sampradaya, sometimes the mantras will be different. So it’s described that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu got a ten-syllable mantra, Krishna Mantra. Nityananda Prabhu also got a ten-syllable mantra. In Brhad Bhagavatamrta, Gopa Kumara got a ten-syllable mantra. And of course that mantra is not revealed. If you look throughout Caitanya Caritamrita, you won’t find that mantra. And even in Brhad Bhagavatam, it doesn’t say what the mantra is. Of course, in the commentary there, Sanatana Gosvami gives us a little hint. And he quotes a Sanskrit verse. But when you read that verse, it doesn’t make sense [Laughs]. So, the reason is that in Mantra Sastras, they don’t reveal the mantra directly. So each syllable of the alphabet is given a different name, code name. So, then the syllables are all given, but in a different language, because we don’t know what the code is. So the idea is that, the mantra is secret and is not given to everybody and even if you look in the books, you won’t find it, so you have to go to Guru to get the mantra. So, Lord Caitanya got 10-syllable mantra, we get 18-syllable mantra, different one. So within one Sampradaya, even there could be different mantras.
And this mantra is used for meditation and for deity worship. So in relation to that, then Jiva Gosvami describes that, yes, this mantra is for deity worship, and that’s for wealthy householders. In other words, a wealthy person can spend his money on worshipping the deity, instead of spending it on sense gratification. And the other point, of course, is that maybe a poor man who’s also a Grahasta can’t really do deity worship properly, because he can’t buy garlands and food, etc., etc… So this is one way, in which a devotee is encouraged, if he is wealthy, to use his money for serving the Lord. Of course, this also implies that it’s not necessarily the only way that we approach the Lord, for Lord Caitanya has emphasized Nama Sankirtana as our main process for spiritual advancement. And though we still take Diksha and get those mantras, it is not the primary means by which we are advancing in our devotional service. So, the real treasure of the devotee is to chant the holy name. And everything to that is secondary.
But then, what does a wealthy man do with his money? Let him spend it on deities. We see that many wealthy people contributed to building all these different temples in Vrindavan because the Gosvamis had no money at all, so wealthy people made temples and started the deity worship. So, the idea is that gold is not necessarily bad, but if we use it properly, then it can also be part of devotional service. However, for people who are not devotees, who are not doing devotional service, then there is a big danger. And thus, we see that wealthy people often become very corrupt. Wealthy countries also become corrupt. So, this indicates a little bit of a problem we have. So, we want a country to prosper. But the more prosperous, the more danger there is of corruption.
Of course, in previous ages, there was some safeguard. There were empowered kings, descendants of Manu, to rule over the people and see that the wealth was not misspent. And the kings, descendants of Manu, were qualified. If we look at the description of the Kshatriya, we see that, of course, quite prominent is Rajo guna. And of course, this gives the king the power to control people. But if kings have all the money and they control people, then they’re bound to have sense gratification. We see that’s a problem in the modern day also. So, the qualification for these kings, of course, they were empowered by the Supreme Lord as descendants of Manu. The other thing is that the real Kshatriya is not just Rajo guna, he has a mixture of Sattva guna. And Sattva guna gives the quality of being detached and renounced. We know the quality of a Brahmana is control the senses, control the mind. Therefore, the real Kshatriya, he’s got Rajo guna to control and to enjoy, but he also has a tendency to control his senses and mind. And thus we see, kings up to Parikshit Maharaj were able to control. At the same time, they did not exploit and enjoy.
In Kali Yuga, the kings disappeared. The descendants of Manu decided to abdicate. So, instead of kings, what do we get? We get false kings like Kali, dressed up like a king. And they gather all the gold and then they enjoy and they start all these sinful activities. So, in this way, these verses are giving a prediction for the conditions of human society in Kali Yuga. In other ages, we won’t find this extent of sinful activities.
So then the question comes, what are we supposed to do? One answer is, well, let’s get another king and establish our kingdom and a good qualified king and have Varanashrama and control everybody. But such a system is also not the will of the Lord. He allowed the kings to disappear and allowed, okay, come back in Satya Yuga again and so, when Satya Yuga comes, the kings come back again. So, that’s not a viable solution, because we don’t have the empowered king there to establish the system. The sages of Naimisaranya asked this question, now that Krishna is gone, dharma is gone, what are we supposed to do? Answer is, Srimad Bhagavatam has arisen like the sun in Kali Yuga. But then, what do we do? Hold the book up and say, this is going to purify Kali Yuga? Rather than the book itself, the teachings of the book will give us a solution. And the ultimate solution is, worship Krishna, hear the pastimes of Krishna and chant Krishna’s name, that is the solution.
Of course, the counter-argument is, well, that’s spiritual, but what about this material world where everybody’s all sinful and disorderly and revolutionary and what not? And of course, the answer is that ultimately, the only solution, whether it’s Satya Yuga, Treta, Dvapara or Kali Yuga, is that whatever solution is there, it has to be linked with devotional service. So, the kings were able to rule properly, because not only they were kshatriyas with Rajas, Sattva guna, also they were devotees of the Lord. Of course, for the majority, bhakti is secondary. And enjoying within the rules of Varanashrama is the primary goal. So, in Kali Yuga, that system is no longer there, Kings are no longer there, then we have to rely on spiritual cultivation. So, through Nama Sankirtana and worshipping Krishna, we establish a system, whatever it is, and we can succeed.
Of course, as Prabhupada mentioned in the previous purport, that the rules for everybody may be a little flexible. So, he mentions about fasting, following regulative principles, etc. But, of course, we do know that, because of the nature of Kali Yuga, it’s difficult for people to follow, easy for committing sinful activities. So, to help them gradually withdraw from their sinful activities, then we also give them chanting of the holy name. So, in other words, instead of forcibly putting rules on people by a qualified Kshatriya, the other process is, let them chant Hare Krishna. So, this in no way contaminates the process of pure bhakti. Those who are fortunate to be able to practice pure bhakti, fine, they can continue that process. And let the others follow whatever they can, and that is at least chant the holy name. So this is a way, in which people become gradually purified.
The system of Varanashrama itself is a system of gradual purification. If you’re in Tamo guna, then you’re liable to committing all sinful activities. So, for those people, the Sudras are given minimum rules. But, because they follow those rules, gradually they become purified. But, it may take many lifetimes for them to progress up to being a Vaishya, then a Kshatriya, then a Brahmana. And when they’re a Brahmana and they control their senses, then they can more likely take to jnana, yoga, or bhakti.
So, in Kali Yuga, we don’t offer any other system, we only worship the Lord, chant the holy name, and whether you’re Sudra or Melaccha or anybody, you gradually advance this way, and much quicker, of course, than Varanashrama. So, that is the system for Kali Yuga.
Hare Krsna!